Exhibition: Blood & Battle: Dissecting the Life of William Beatty

The life and work of renowned 19th-century naval surgeon and physician, Sir William Beatty, is explored in all its fascinating – and often grisly.

The exhibition marks 200 years since Beatty took up the post of Physician to the Royal Hospital for Seamen in Greenwich – now the Old Royal Naval College. Blood & Battle takes a deep dive into his exceptional career as well as the wider world of medical practice in Nelson’s navy.

The exhibition allows visitors to see up close the tools of the naval surgeon’s bloody practice and learn how he saved the lives of an overwhelming number of sailors – which was unusual at the time.

The exhibition also features a range of objects, including a replica of Nelson’s life mask and 18th and 19th-century surgical instruments, including Beatty’s own medicine chest. Visitors can experience what it was like to be in HMS Victory’s cockpit during battle, with an immersive recreation of the make-shift medical bay complete with sights, smells and sounds.

Famously, Beatty tended to Vice Admiral Lord Nelson after his fatal injury during the battle. He later wore the musket ball that killed Nelson in a locket on his watch chain for the rest of his life. Visitors to the exhibition can hear Betty’s account of Nelson’s death in his own words with excerpts from his Authentic Narrative of the Death of Lord Nelson.